Black babies almost twice as likely to be stillborn as white babies
Aneira Davies
Social and newsletter writerThe ONS has released the latest figures for stillbirths in England and Wales as campaigners say more must be done
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its latest findings on stillbirth rates in England and Wales, and there are some sobering statistics.
The official figures, which looked at the rates of birth in England and Wales in 2021 (the most recent data available), found that while birth rates in 2021 declined overall, the rate of stillbirths was higher than the year before.
The statistics also revealed that black mothers were almost twice as likely to experience a stillbirth as white mothers with a stillbirth rate of 6.9 per 1,000 births, as opposed to 3.5 per 1,000 births for white mums
Sands, the charity dedicated to saving babies lives and supporting bereaved parents told Netmums that more needs to be done.
'It is unacceptable that babies and mothers should be more at risk of dying because of their ethnicity, income or where they live,' said Clea Harmer Sands' Chief Executive.
'These latest ONS figures only add to the evidence that more must be done to address the stark inequalities in perinatal mortality rates.'
Why is the stillbirth rate higher for black mothers?
Campaigners are calling for more research into the reasons for the stark difference between stillbirth rates in different ethnicity groups as little is yet known.
Tinuke Awe and Clo Abe from Five x More, a community interest company (CIC) committed to highlighting and changing Black maternal health outcomes in the UK, told Netmums they weren't surprised by the statistics.
Tinuke said:
'The outcomes for black women and their babies have been quite poor for a very long time.'
Clo added that more needs to be done to find out exactly why black mums are more likely to have a stillbirth than white women.
'It comes down to the why,' she said. 'Why is this happening? Is it something that the mum has? Is this a new condition that the mum has while she's pregnant? Is this something that the baby brings on?
'The government needs to look at each of these things in order to rule them out', she added, 'and find out why stillbirths are more likely within the black community.
'It's been happening for too long and something needs to be done about it.'
In September 2021, NHS England promised to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies from black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups, but as these figures show, there is still more to be done.
As the ONS data is from 2021, Clo said she hopes some progress has been made within the past year and that next year's statistics will reflect this.
On an article they collaborated on with The Guardian, Tinuke and Clo said that stillbirth numbers have been higher for black women and their babies 'for decades now'.
Clo said:
'Should we be looking at the mother’s history and the mother as well? Is it because black women aren’t being listened to? So when they say reduced foetal movements and things should be done, is it not getting done on time?
'Are they having traumatic births? Is it because they are having rushed C-sections? What is the issue that is affecting the child? Is it a condition that the mother had that went undiagnosed during a pregnancy? What exactly is it?'
Higher rates of death in childbirth
Sadly, black women are also more likely to die in childbirth, as Rochelle Humes highlighted while presenting The Black Maternity Scandal: Dispatches documentary in 2021.
She referenced a report in January 2021 by the Joint Committee on Human Rights that found that black women were four times as likely to die in pregnancy than white women.
The TV presenter was investigating the shocking statistics that showed black women were at a higher risk of dying during their pregnancy, as part of the special Dispatches programme that aired on Channel 4.
The mum of 3 ended up in tears as women opened up to her about their birth experiences and those of their family members.
What else is in the findings?
The rates of stillbirth have gone up overall for the year 2021, with 4.1 stillbirths per 1,000 births in England and Wales over that time period.
It's a sharp turnaround from the 2020 figures – which recorded the lowest ever rate of stillbirths in England and Wales, at just 3.8 deaths per 1,000 births.
While almost all age groups saw a rise in stillbirth rates, mums aged 40 and over had the highest number of stillbirths – at 5.9 stillbirths per 1,000 births – followed by teenage mums, at 5 stillbirths per 1,000 births.
Mums aged between 30-34 were the only age group not to see a rise in stillbirths.
Clea Harmer told Netmums this is something the government needs to address as a 'priority'.
'We know that the NHS is under enormous pressure and a better-supported workforce is vital to supporting improvements in maternity and neonatal care,' she said. 'But workforce numbers are going in the wrong direction.
'As part of the Autumn Statement, the Government announced that it would follow recommendation in the Ockenden Review for 2,000 extra midwives in England. We are yet to see a plan for how this will be implemented and will be monitoring the Government’s progress to ensure they deliver on their promises.'
What is a stillbirth?
A stillbirth is when a baby dies after the 24th week of pregnancy. Currently, stillbirths before the 24-week mark are treated by law as a miscarriage, even if the mum delivers the baby.
Where can I access support?
Having a stillborn baby is devastating for parents. And even contemplating how to cope, both physically and emotionally, can feel impossible.
Take a look at our article here for what to expect in those early days, with advice from parents who've also experienced the terrible pain of losing their baby. You can also contact Sands for information and support.
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